Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter franchise. If I did, the Dursleys would be punished for how they treated Harry.

Removing Dudley from the Equation – Year 7

Chapter 1: Elections

Harry James Durlsey Potter was reading when yet another owl brought him a letter. "Is it the material list this time?" Petunia asked.

"No, Mum." Harry sadly said. "It's Minister Fudge once again asking me to support him for the upcoming election. I'm afraid of how far he'll go to be re-elected."

"I thought the election is supposed to take place before you reach voting age, Harry." Vernon commented.

"My fame can help anyone to get votes, unfortunately." Harry replied.

"Harry, even if you have no plans to enter politics, you should be aware of who's who among candidates." Vernon stated. "That way you'll know which broken promises the elected politicians can be called out for."

"Who's running against him, Harry?" Petunia asked.

"Rufus Scrimegour, Mum." Harry answered.

"Between them, who's the lesser evil?" Vernon dismissively asked. Mr. Dursley did have a negative opinion about politicians.

"I'm not certain, Dad." Harry answered. "Some wizards and witches feel better with a Minister who has experience serving as an Auror and it goes on Scrimegour's favor but Fudge has the reputation of correcting the miscarriage of justice Sirius Black had suffered and was smart enough to value safety back when England hosted the Quidditch World Cup. The magical community loves Quidditch."

They then heard someone knocking and Vernon answered. It was Sirius Black. "May I come in, Dursley?"

"Only after you prove that you're really Sirius Black." Vernon replied.

"Dursley, it never bothered you before." Sirius argued.

"Now that Harry's just a few days from becoming of age in the eyes of magical society, we must practice for when Lily's protection is gone for good, Sirius or whoever you are." Vernon explained while secretly glad to see Sirius struggling.

"Come on, Dursley." Sirius whined. "You know I'm too magnificent to be copied."

"What did I say the first time we talked about giving Harry a flying broomstick?" Vernon asked.

"You said he'd not like it because, as a first year back then, he'd not be allowed to use it." Sirius frowned.

"Ok, you are who you claim to be." Vernon begrudgingly said as he opened the door. "What brings you here, Sirius?" He teasingly asked. "Couldn't wait until Harry is seventeen before giving him your gift?"

"No." Sirius quickly answered while thinking about the shrunken package inside his pocket.

"Then what?" Petunia asked with a frown. "Are you here to give last-minute prank suggestions for before he becomes an adult and thus judged as such for his actions?"

"I couldn't convince him at school, I certainly cannot convince him here." Sirius replied.

"We were just talking about you, Sirius." Harry commented. "About how fixing the miscarriage of justice you suffered is probably helping Fudge with the election."

"Who do you think the lesser evil is, Sirius?" Vernon asked.

"Lesser evil?" Sirius asked in confusion.

"Dad's opinion of politicians makes him think the best option is the lesser evil, Sirius." Harry explained.

"Given who the candidates are, he's not that far off." Sirius commented with a chuckle. "I dare claim Rufus Scrimegour is the least likely to bury his head in the sand when trouble arises."

"Is he the least likely to send people to Azkaban without a trial?" Harry asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Prongslet." Sirius answered after thinking about that.

"Sirius, what exactly do you think we should do about the Death Eaters after we no longer have Lily's protection?" Vernon asked.

"For starters, while your precaution shown before might be useful at wizarding homes, it won't necessarily help at muggle ones since Death Eaters can merely force entry." Sirius sadly explained. "I could talk to the Minister and see if he could increase the patrol level at this area for a while. Hopefully the Death Eaters will have given up by then."

"So, Fudge will get the Potter support after all." Petunia frowned in a way that reminded Sirius of the old times back when she hated magic.

At that point, Vernon noticed Harry reading a letter from another owl-delivered envelope. "Is it Scrimegour asking for your support, son?"

"No, Dad." Harry answered with a smile. "The Hogwarts letter finally arrived.

End prologue